02 December 2007

Texas Education Agency and Chris Comer, Part 4

Chris Comer has now given the first interviews since the story broke about her resignation from the Texas Education Agency. Of particular note:

Ms. Comer said state education officials seemed uneasy lately over the required evolution curriculum. It had always been part of her job to answer letter-writers inquiring about evolution instruction, she said, and she always replied that the State Board of Education supported the teaching of evolution in Texas schools.

But several months ago, in response to an inquiry letter, Ms. Comer said she was instructed to strike her usual statement about the board’s support for teaching evolution and to quote instead the exact language of the high school biology standards as formulated for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills test.

My worries are not being assuaged here. The Texas Education Agency better speak up. Not about Chris Comer, since they've consistently said it's a personnel issue, which I can live with. They'd better speak up about the state standards on evolution and what we can really expect in the revisions.